Now when they came to the ford of the
full-flowing river Xanthus, begotten of immortal
Jove, Achilles cut their forces in two:
one half he chased over the plain towards the city
by the same way that the Achaeans had
taken when flying panic-stricken on the
preceding day with Hector in full triumph;
this way did they fly pell-mell, and Juno sent
down a thick mist in front of them to stay
them. The other half were hemmed in by the
deep silver-eddying stream, and fell into
it with a great uproar. The waters resounded,
and the banks rang again, as they swam
hither and thither with loud cries amid the
whirling eddies. As locusts flying to a
river before the blast of a grass fire- the flame
comes on and on till at last it overtakes
them and they huddle into the water- even so
was the eddying stream of Xanthus filled
with the uproar of men and horses, all
struggling in confusion before
Achilles.
Forthwith the hero left his spear upon the
bank, leaning it against a tamarisk bush, and
plunged into the river like a god, armed
with his sword only. Fell was his purpose as he
hewed the Trojans down on every side.
Their dying groans rose hideous as the sword
smote them, and the river ran red with
blood. As when fish fly scared before a huge
dolphin, and fill every nook and corner of
some fair haven- for he is sure to eat all he
can catch- even so did the Trojans cower
under the banks of the mighty river, and
when Achilles' arms grew weary with
killing them, he drew twelve youths alive out of
the water, to sacrifice in revenge for
Patroclus son of Menoetius. He drew them out like
dazed fawns, bound their hands behind them
with the girdles of their own shirts, and
gave them over to his men to take back to
the ships. Then he sprang into the river,
thirsting for still further blood.
There he found Lycaon, son of Priam seed
of Dardanus, as he was escaping out of the
water; he it was whom he had once taken
prisoner when he was in his father's vineyard,
having set upon him by night, as he was
cutting young shoots from a wild fig-tree to
make the wicker sides of a chariot.
Achilles then caught him to his sorrow unawares,
and sent him by sea to Lemnos, where the
son of Jason bought him. But a guest-friend,
Eetion of Imbros, freed him with a great
sum, and sent him to Arisbe, whence he had
escaped and returned to his father's
house. He had spent eleven days happily with his
friends after he had come from Lemnos, but
on the twelfth heaven again delivered him
into the hands of Achilles, who was to
send him to the house of Hades sorely against his
will. He was unarmed when Achilles caught
sight of him, and had neither helmet nor
shield; nor yet had he any spear, for he
had thrown all his armour from him on to the
bank, and was sweating with his struggles
to get out of the river, so that his strength was
now failing him.
Then Achilles said to himself in his
surprise, "What marvel do I see here? If this man can
come back alive after having been sold
over into Lemnos, I shall have the Trojans also
whom I have slain rising from the world
below. Could not even the waters of the grey
sea imprison him, as they do many another
whether he will or no? This time let him taste
my spear, that I may know for certain
whether mother earth who can keep even a
strong man down, will be able to hold him,
or whether thence too he will return."
Thus did he pause and ponder. But Lycaon
came up to him dazed and trying hard to
embrace his knees, for he would fain live,
not die. Achilles thrust at him with his spear,
meaning to kill him, but Lycaon ran
crouching up to him and caught his knees, whereby
the spear passed over his back, and stuck
in the ground, hungering though it was for
blood. With one hand he caught Achilles'
knees as he besought him, and with the other
he clutched the spear and would not let it
go. Then he said, "Achilles, have mercy upon
me and spare me, for I am your suppliant.
It was in your tents that I first broke bread
on the day when you took me prisoner in
the vineyard; after which you sold away to
Lemnos far from my father and my friends,
and I brought you the price of a hundred
oxen. I have paid three times as much to
gain my freedom; it is but twelve days that I
have come to Ilius after much suffering,
and now cruel fate has again thrown me into
your hands. Surely father Jove must hate
me, that he has given me over to you a second
time. Short of life indeed did my mother
Laothoe bear me, daughter of aged Altes- of
Altes who reigns over the warlike Lelegae
and holds steep Pedasus on the river
Satnioeis. Priam married his daughter
along with many other women and two sons were
born of her, both of whom you will have
slain. Your spear slew noble Polydorus as he
was fighting in the front ranks, and now
evil will here befall me, for I fear that I shall not
escape you since heaven has delivered me
over to you. Furthermore I say, and lay my
saying to your heart, spare me, for I am
not of the same womb as Hector who slew
your brave and noble comrade."
With such words did the princely son of
Priam beseech Achilles; but Achilles answered
him sternly. "Idiot," said he, "talk not
to me of ransom. Until Patroclus fell I preferred to
give the Trojans quarter, and sold beyond
the sea many of those whom I had taken
alive; but now not a man shall live of
those whom heaven delivers into my hands before
the city of Ilius- and of all Trojans it
shall fare hardest with the sons of Priam. Therefore,
my friend, you too shall die. Why should
you whine in this way? Patroclus fell, and he
was a better man than you are. I too- see
you not how I am great and goodly? I am son
to a noble father, and have a goddess for
my mother, but the hands of doom and death
overshadow me all as surely. The day will
come, either at dawn or dark, or at the
noontide, when one shall take my life also
in battle, either with his spear, or with an
arrow sped from his bow."
Thus did he speak, and Lycaon's heart sank
within him. He loosed his hold of the spear,
and held out both hands before him; but
Achilles drew his keen blade, and struck him
by the collar-bone on his neck; he plunged
his two-edged sword into him to the very
hilt, whereon he lay at full length on the
ground, with the dark blood welling from him till
the earth was soaked. Then Achilles caught
him by the foot and flung him into the river
to go down stream, vaunting over him the
while, and saying, "Lie there among the fishes,
who will lick the blood from your wound
and gloat over it; your mother shall not lay you
on any bier to mourn you, but the eddies
of Scamander shall bear you into the broad
bosom of the sea. There shall the fishes
feed on the fat of Lycaon as they dart under the
dark ripple of the waters- so perish all
of you till we reach the citadel of strong Ilius-
you in flight, and I following after to
destroy you. The river with its broad silver stream
shall serve you in no stead, for all the
bulls you offered him and all the horses that you
flung living into his waters. None the
less miserably shall you perish till there is not a man
of you but has paid in full for the death
of Patroclus and the havoc you wrought among
the Achaeans whom you have slain while I
held aloof from battle."
So spoke Achilles, but the river grew more
and more angry, and pondered within
himself how he should stay the hand of
Achilles and save the Trojans from disaster.
Meanwhile the son of Peleus, spear in
hand, sprang upon Asteropaeus son of Pelegon
to kill him. He was son to the broad river
Axius and Periboea eldest daughter of
Acessamenus; for the river had lain with
her. Asteropaeus stood up out of the water to
face him with a spear in either hand, and
Xanthus filled him with courage, being angry
for the death of the youths whom Achilles
was slaying ruthlessly within his waters. When
they were close up with one another
Achilles was first to speak. "Who and whence are
you," said he, "who dare to face me? Woe
to the parents whose son stands up against
me." And the son of Pelegon answered,
"Great son of Peleus, why should you ask my
lineage. I am from the fertile land of far
Paeonia, captain of the Paeonians, and it is now
eleven days that I am at Ilius. I am of
the blood of the river Axius- of Axius that is the
fairest of all rivers that run. He begot
the famed warrior Pelegon, whose son men call
me. Let us now fight, Achilles."
Thus did he defy him, and Achilles raised
his spear of Pelian ash. Asteropaeus failed
with both his spears, for he could use
both hands alike; with the one spear he struck
Achilles' shield, but did not pierce it,
for the layer of gold, gift of the god, stayed the
point; with the other spear he grazed the
elbow of Achilles! right arm drawing dark
blood, but the spear itself went by him
and fixed itself in the ground, foiled of its bloody
banquet. Then Achilles, fain to kill him,
hurled his spear at Asteropaeus, but failed to hit
him and struck the steep bank of the
river, driving the spear half its length into the earth.
The son of Peleus then drew his sword and
sprang furiously upon him. Asteropaeus
vainly tried to draw Achilles' spear out
of the bank by main force; thrice did he tug at it,
trying with all his might to draw it out,
and thrice he had to leave off trying; the fourth
time he tried to bend and break it, but
ere he could do so Achilles smote him with his
sword and killed him. He struck him in the
belly near the navel, so that all his bowels
came gushing out on to the ground, and the
darkness of death came over him as he lay
gasping. Then Achilles set his foot on his
chest and spoiled him of his armour, vaunting
over him and saying, "Lie there- begotten
of a river though you be, it is hard for you to
strive with the offspring of Saturn's son.
You declare yourself sprung from the blood of
a broad river, but I am of the seed of
mighty Jove. My father is Peleus, son of Aeacus
ruler over the many Myrmidons, and Aeacus
was the son of Jove. Therefore as Jove is
mightier than any river that flows into
the sea, so are his children stronger than those of
any river whatsoever. Moreover you have a
great river hard by if he can be of any use
to you, but there is no fighting against
Jove the son of Saturn, with whom not even King
Achelous can compare, nor the mighty
stream of deep-flowing Oceanus, from whom all
rivers and seas with all springs and deep
wells proceed; even Oceanus fears the
lightnings of great Jove, and his thunder
that comes crashing out of heaven."
With this he drew his bronze spear out of
the bank, and now that he had killed
Asteropaeus, he let him lie where he was
on the sand, with the dark water flowing over
him and the eels and fishes busy nibbling
and gnawing the fat that was about his kidneys.
Then he went in chase of the Paeonians,
who were flying along the bank of the river in
panic when they saw their leader slain by
the hands of the son of Peleus. Therein he
slew Thersilochus, Mydon, Astypylus,
Mnesus, Thrasius, Oeneus, and Ophelestes, and
he would have slain yet others, had not
the river in anger taken human form, and spoken
to him from out the deep waters saying,
"Achilles, if you excel all in strength, so do you
also in wickedness, for the gods are ever
with you to protect you: if, then, the son of
Saturn has vouchsafed it to you to destroy
all the Trojans, at any rate drive them out of
my stream, and do your grim work on land.
My fair waters are now filled with corpses,
nor can I find any channel by which I may
pour myself into the sea for I am choked with
dead, and yet you go on mercilessly
slaying. I am in despair, therefore, O captain of
your host, trouble me no further."
Achilles answered, "So be it, Scamander,
Jove-descended; but I will never cease
dealing out death among the Trojans, till
I have pent them up in their city, and made trial
of Hector face to face, that I may learn
whether he is to vanquish me, or I him."
As he spoke he set upon the Trojans with a
fury like that of the gods. But the river said
to Apollo, "Surely, son of Jove, lord of
the silver bow, you are not obeying the
commands of Jove who charged you straitly
that you should stand by the Trojans and
defend them, till twilight fades, and
darkness is over an the earth."
Meanwhile Achilles sprang from the bank
into mid-stream, whereon the river raised a
high wave and attacked him. He swelled his
stream into a torrent, and swept away the
many dead whom Achilles had slain and left
within his waters. These he cast out on to
the land, bellowing like a bull the while,
but the living he saved alive, hiding them in his
mighty eddies. The great and terrible wave
gathered about Achilles, falling upon him and
beating on his shield, so that he could
not keep his feet; he caught hold of a great
elm-tree, but it came up by the roots, and
tore away the bank, damming the stream with
its thick branches and bridging it all
across; whereby Achilles struggled out of the
stream, and fled full speed over the
plain, for he was afraid.
But the mighty god ceased not in his
pursuit, and sprang upon him with a dark-crested
wave, to stay his hands and save the
Trojans from destruction. The son of Peleus
darted away a spear's throw from him;
swift as the swoop of a black hunter-eagle
which is the strongest and fleetest of all
birds, even so did he spring forward, and the
armour rang loudly about his breast. He
fled on in front, but the river with a loud roar
came tearing after. As one who would water
his garden leads a stream from some
fountain over his plants, and all his
ground-spade in hand he clears away the dams to
free the channels, and the little stones
run rolling round and round with the water as it
goes merrily down the bank faster than the
man can follow- even so did the river keep
catching up with Achilles albeit he was a
fleet runner, for the gods are stronger than
men. As often as he would strive to stand
his ground, and see whether or no all the
gods in heaven were in league against him,
so often would the mighty wave come
beating down upon his shoulders, and be
would have to keep flying on and on in great
dismay; for the angry flood was tiring him
out as it flowed past him and ate the ground
from under his feet.
Then the son of Peleus lifted up his voice
to heaven saying, "Father Jove, is there none
of the gods who will take pity upon me,
and save me from the river? I do not care what
may happen to me afterwards. I blame none
of the other dwellers on Olympus so
severely as I do my dear mother, who has
beguiled and tricked me. She told me I was
to fall under the walls of Troy by the
flying arrows of Apollo; would that Hector, the
best man among the Trojans, might there
slay me; then should I fall a hero by the hand
of a hero; whereas now it seems that I
shall come to a most pitiable end, trapped in this
river as though I were some swineherd's
boy, who gets carried down a torrent while
trying to cross it during a storm."
As soon as he had spoken thus, Neptune and
Minerva came up to him in the likeness of
two men, and took him by the hand to
reassure him. Neptune spoke first. "Son of
Peleus," said he, "be not so exceeding
fearful; we are two gods, come with Jove's
sanction to assist you, I, and Pallas
Minerva. It is not your fate to perish in this river; he
will abate presently as you will see;
moreover we strongly advise you, if you will be
guided by us, not to stay your hand from
fighting till you have pent the Trojan host
within the famed walls of Ilius- as many
of them as may escape. Then kill Hector and go
back to the ships, for we will vouchsafe
you a triumph over him."
When they had so said they went back to
the other immortals, but Achilles strove
onward over the plain, encouraged by the
charge the gods had laid upon him. All was
now covered with the flood of waters, and
much goodly armour of the youths that had
been slain was rifting about, as also many
corpses, but he forced his way against the
stream, speeding right onwards, nor could
the broad waters stay him, for Minerva had
endowed him with great strength.
Nevertheless Scamander did not slacken in his
pursuit, but was still more furious with
the son of Peleus. He lifted his waters into a high
crest and cried aloud to Simois saying,
"Dear brother, let the two of us unite to save this
man, or he will sack the mighty city of
King Priam, and the Trojans will not hold out
against him. Help me at once; fill your
streams with water from their sources, rouse all
your torrents to a fury; raise your wave
on high, and let snags and stones come
thundering down you that we may make an
end of this savage creature who is now
lording it as though he were a god.
Nothing shall serve him longer, not strength nor
comeliness, nor his fine armour, which
forsooth shall soon be lying low in the deep
waters covered over with mud. I will wrap
him in sand, and pour tons of shingle round
him, so that the Achaeans shall not know
how to gather his bones for the silt in which I
shall have hidden him, and when they
celebrate his funeral they need build no barrow."
On this he upraised his tumultuous flood
high against Achilles, seething as it was with
foam and blood and the bo&ies of the
dead. The dark waters of the river stood upright
and would have overwhelmed the son of
Peleus, but Juno, trembling lest Achilles should
be swept away in the mighty torrent,
lifted her voice on high and called out to Vulcan
her son. "Crook-foot," she cried, "my
child, be up and doing, for I deem it is with you
that Xanthus is fain to fight; help us at
once, kindle a fierce fire; I will then bring up the
west and the white south wind in a mighty
hurricane from the sea, that shall bear the
flames against the heads and armour of the
Trojans and consume them, while you go
along the banks of Xanthus burning his
trees and wrapping him round with fire. Let him
not turn you back neither by fair words
nor foul, and slacken not till I shout and tell you.
Then you may stay your flames."
On this Vulcan kindled a fierce fire,
which broke out first upon the plain and burned the
many dead whom Achilles had killed and
whose bodies were lying about in great
numbers; by this means the plain was dried
and the flood stayed. As the north wind,
blowing on an orchard that has been sodden
with autumn rain, soon dries it, and the
heart of the owner is glad- even so the
whole plan was dried and the dead bodies were
consumed. Then he turned tongues of fire
on to the river. He burned the elms the
willows and the tamarisks, the lotus also,
with the rushes and marshy herbage that grew
abundantly by the banks of the river. The
eels and fishes that go darting about
everywhere in the water, these, too, were
sorely harassed by the flames that cunning
Vulcan had kindled, and the river himself
was scalded, so that he spoke saying,
"Vulcan, there is no god can hold his own
against you. I cannot fight you when you flare
out your flames in this way; strive with
me no longer. Let Achilles drive the Trojans out
of city immediately. What have I to do
with quarrelling and helping people?"
He was boiling as he spoke, and all his
waters were seething. As a cauldron upon 'a
large fire boils when it is melting the
lard of some fatted hog, and the lard keeps
bubbling up all over when the dry faggots
blaze under it- even so were the goodly
waters of Xanthus heated with the fire
till they were boiling. He could flow no longer but
stayed his stream, so afflicted was he by
the blasts of fire which cunning Vulcan had
raised. Then he prayed to Juno and
besought her saying, "Juno, why should your son
vex my stream with such especial fury? I
am not so much to blame as all the others are
who have been helping the Trojans. I will
leave off, since you so desire it, and let son
leave off also. Furthermore I swear never
again will I do anything to save the Trojans
from destruction, not even when all Troy
is burning in the flames which the Achaeans
will kindle."
As soon as Juno heard this she said to her
son Vulcan, "Son Vulcan, hold now your
flames; we ought not to use such violence
against a god for the sake of mortals."
When she had thus spoken Vulcan quenched
his flames, and the river went back once
more into his own fair bed.
Xanthus was now beaten, so these two left
off fighting, for Juno stayed them though she
was still angry; but a furious quarrel
broke out among the other gods, for they were of
divided counsels. They fell on one another
with a mighty uproar- earth groaned, and the
spacious firmament rang out as with a
blare of trumpets. Jove heard as he was sitting on
Olympus, and laughed for joy when he saw
the gods coming to blows among
themselves. They were not long about
beginning, and Mars piercer of shields opened
the battle. Sword in hand he sprang at
once upon Minerva and reviled her. "Why,
vixen," said he, "have you again set the
gods by the ears in the pride and haughtiness of
your heart? Have you forgotten how you set
Diomed son of Tydeus on to wound me,
and yourself took visible spear and drove
it into me to the hurt of my fair body? You
shall now suffer for what you then did to
me."
As he spoke he struck her on the terrible
tasselled aegis- so terrible that not even can
Jove's lightning pierce it. Here did
murderous Mars strike her with his great spear. She
drew back and with her strong hand seized
a stone that was lying on the plain- great
and rugged and black- which men of old had
set for the boundary of a field. With this
she struck Mars on the neck, and brought
him down. Nine roods did he cover in his
fall, and his hair was all soiled in the
dust, while his armour rang rattling round him. But
Minerva laughed and vaunted over him
saying, "Idiot, have you not learned how far
stronger I am than you, but you must still
match yourself against me? Thus do your
mother's curses now roost upon you, for
she is angry and would do you mischief
because you have deserted the Achaeans and
are helping the Trojans."
She then turned her two piercing eyes
elsewhere, whereon Jove's daughter Venus took
Mars by the hand and led him away groaning
all the time, for it was only with great
difficulty that he had come to himself
again. When Queen Juno saw her, she said to
Minerva, "Look, daughter of aegis-bearing
Jove, unweariable, that vixen Venus is again
taking Mars through the crowd out of the
battle; go after her at once."
Thus she spoke. Minerva sped after Venus
with a will, and made at her, striking her on
the bosom with her strong hand so that she
fell fainting to the ground, and there they
both lay stretched at full length. Then
Minerva vaunted over her saying, "May all who
help the Trojans against the Argives prove
just as redoubtable and stalwart as Venus
did when she came across me while she was
helping Mars. Had this been so, we should
long since have ended the war by sacking
the strong city of Ilius."
Juno smiled as she listened. Meanwhile
King Neptune turned to Apollo saying,
"Phoebus, why should we keep each other at
arm's length? it is not well, now that the
others have begun fighting; it will be
disgraceful to us if we return to Jove's
bronze-floored mansion on Olympus without
having fought each other; therefore come
on, you are the younger of the two, and I
ought not to attack you, for I am older and
have had more experience. Idiot, you have
no sense, and forget how we two alone of
all the gods fared hardly round about
Ilius when we came from Jove's house and
worked for Laomedon a whole year at a
stated wage and he gave us his orders. I built
the Trojans the wall about their city, so
wide and fair that it might be impregnable, while
you, Phoebus, herded cattle for him in the
dales of many valleyed Ida. When, however,
the glad hours brought round the time of
payment, mighty Laomedon robbed us of all
our hire and sent us off with nothing but
abuse. He threatened to bind us hand and foot
and sell us over into some distant island.
He tried, moreover, to cut off the ears of both
of us, so we went away in a rage, furious
about the payment he had promised us, and
yet withheld; in spite of all this, you
are now showing favour to his people, and will not
join us in compassing the utter ruin of
the proud Trojans with their wives and children."
And King Apollo answered, "Lord of the
earthquake, you would have no respect for
me if I were to fight you about a pack of
miserable mortals, who come out like leaves in
summer and eat the fruit of the field, and
presently fall lifeless to the ground. Let us stay
this fighting at once and let them settle
it among themselves."
He turned away as he spoke, for he would
lay no hand on the brother of his own father.
But his sister the huntress Diana,
patroness of wild beasts, was very angry with him and
said, "So you would fly, Far-Darter, and
hand victory over to Neptune with a cheap
vaunt to boot. Baby, why keep your bow
thus idle? Never let me again hear you
bragging in my father's house, as you have
often done in the presence of the immortals,
that you would stand up and fight with
Neptune."
Apollo made her no answer, but Jove's
august queen was angry and upbraided her
bitterly. "Bold vixen," she cried, "how
dare you cross me thus? For all your bow you
will find it hard to hold your own against
me. Jove made you as a lion among women,
and lets you kill them whenever you
choose. You will And it better to chase wild beasts
and deer upon the mountains than to fight
those who are stronger than you are. If you
would try war, do so, and find out by
pitting yourself against me, how far stronger I am
than you are."
She caught both Diana's wrists with her
left hand as she spoke, and with her right she
took the bow from her shoulders, and
laughed as she beat her with it about the ears
while Diana wriggled and writhed under her
blows. Her swift arrows were shed upon
the ground, and she fled weeping from
under Juno's hand as a dove that flies before a
falcon to the cleft of some hollow rock,
when it is her good fortune to escape. Even so
did she fly weeping away, leaving her bow
and arrows behind her.
Then the slayer of Argus, guide and
guardian, said to Leto, "Leto, I shall not fight you; it
is ill to come to blows with any of Jove's
wives. Therefore boast as you will among the
immortals that you worsted me in fair
fight."
Leto then gathered up Diana's bow and
arrows that had fallen about amid the whirling
dust, and when she had got them she made
all haste after her daughter. Diana had now
reached Jove's bronze-floored mansion on
Olympus, and sat herself down with many
tears on the knees of her father, while
her ambrosial raiment was quivering all about her.
The son of Saturn drew her towards him,
and laughing pleasantly the while began to
question her saying, "Which of the
heavenly beings, my dear child, has been treating you
in this cruel manner, as though you had
been misconducting yourself in the face of
everybody?" and the fair-crowned goddess
of the chase answered, "It was your wife
Juno, father, who has been beating me; it
is always her doing when there is any
quarrelling among the immortals."
Thus did they converse, and meanwhile
Phoebus Apollo entered the strong city of Ilius,
for he was uneasy lest the wall should not
hold out and the Danaans should take the city
then and there, before its hour had come;
but the rest of the ever-living gods went back,
some angry and some triumphant to Olympus,
where they took their seats beside Jove
lord of the storm cloud, while Achilles
still kept on dealing out death alike on the
Trojans and on their As when the smoke
from some burning city ascends to heaven
when the anger of the gods has kindled it-
there is then toil for all, and sorrow for not a
few- even so did Achilles bring toil and
sorrow on the Trojans.
Old King Priam stood on a high tower of
the wall looking down on huge Achilles as the
Trojans fled panic-stricken before him,
and there was none to help them. Presently he
came down from off the tower and with many
a groan went along the wall to give
orders to the brave warders of the gate.
"Keep the gates," said he, "wide open till the
people come flying into the city, for
Achilles is hard by and is driving them in rout before
him. I see we are in great peril. As soon
as our people are inside and in safety, close the
strong gates for I fear lest that terrible
man should come bounding inside along with the
others."
As he spoke they drew back the bolts and
opened the gates, and when these were
opened there was a haven of refuge for the
Trojans. Apollo then came full speed out of
the city to meet them and protect them.
Right for the city and the high wall, parched
with thirst and grimy with dust, still
they fied on, with Achilles wielding his spear
furiously behind them. For he was as one
possessed, and was thirsting after glory.
Then had the sons of the Achaeans taken
the lofty gates of Troy if Apollo had not
spurred on Agenor, valiant and noble son
to Antenor. He put courage into his heart,
and stood by his side to guard him,
leaning against a beech tree and shrouded in thick
darkness. When Agenor saw Achilles he
stood still and his heart was clouded with
care. "Alas," said he to himself in his
dismay, "if I fly before mighty Achilles, and go
where all the others are being driven in
rout, he will none the less catch me and kill me
for a coward. How would it be were I to
let Achilles drive the others before him, and
then fly from the wall to the plain that
is behind Ilius till I reach the spurs of Ida and can
hide in the underwood that is thereon? I
could then wash the sweat from off me in the
river and in the evening return to Ilius.
But why commune with myself in this way? Like
enough he would see me as I am hurrying
from the city over the plain, and would speed
after me till he had caught me- I should
stand no chance against him, for he is mightiest
of all mankind. What, then, if I go out
and meet him in front of the city? His flesh too, I
take it, can be pierced by pointed bronze.
Life is the same in one and all, and men say
that he is but mortal despite the triumph
that Jove son of Saturn vouchsafes him."
So saying he stood on his guard and
awaited Achilles, for he was now fain to fight him.
As a leopardess that bounds from out a
thick covert to attack a hunter- she knows no
fear and is not dismayed by the baying of
the hounds; even though the man be too quick
for her and wound her either with thrust
or spear, still, though the spear has pierced her
she will not give in till she has either
caught him in her grip or been killed outright- even
so did noble Agenor son of Antenor refuse
to fly till he had made trial of Achilles, and
took aim at him with his spear, holding
his round shield before him and crying with a
loud voice. "Of a truth," said he, "noble
Achilles, you deem that you shall this day sack
the city of the proud Trojans. Fool, there
will be trouble enough yet before it, for there
is many a brave man of us still inside who
will stand in front of our dear parents with our
wives and children, to defend Ilius. Here
therefore, huge and mighty warrior though you
be, here shall you cue.
As he spoke his strong hand hurled his
javelin from him, and the spear struck Achilles
on the leg beneath the knee; the greave of
newly wrought tin rang loudly, but the spear
recoiled from the body of him whom it had
struck, and did not pierce it, for the gods gift
stayed it. Achilles in his turn attacked
noble Agenor, but Apollo would not vouchsafe
him glory, for he snatched Agenor away and
hid him in a thick mist, sending him out of
the battle unmolested Then he craftily
drew the son of Peleus away from going after the
host, for he put on the semblance of
Agenor and stood in front of Achilles, who ran
towards him to give him chase and pursued
him over the corn lands of the plain, turning
him towards the deep waters of the river
Scamander. Apollo ran but a little way before
him and beguiled Achilles by making him
think all the time that he was on the point of
overtaking him. Meanwhile the rabble of
routed Trojans was thankful to crowd within
the city till their numbers thronged it;
no longer did they dare wait for one another
outside the city walls, to learn who had
escaped and who were fallen in fight, but all
whose feet and knees could still carry
them poured pell-mell into the town.